The meeting finally ended, and Prachi soon found herself standing in the MD's cabin.
"Miss Prachi, you did a great job today,"
he began, though his tone remained sharp. "However, as we all know, the company is facing losses. As the team lead, you will be responsible for informing the staff that they are required to stay for overtime."
Prachi felt the ground slip from beneath her feet. She knew the team would be furious, but her primary concern was that it was Sunday. Even though her daughter had the day off from school, Prachi had promised to take her out.
"I trust you won't have an issue with that," the MD added coldly. "If not, you may leave."
With no room to argue, she walked back to the main office floor.
"On the CEO's orders, everyone except the interns is required to stay for overtime," she announced. A wave of groans and frustrated whispers immediately filled the room.
As she reached her desk, her colleague Shravni rolled her chair over. "Hey, did the old man yell at you?" she asked, noticing Prachi's pale expression.
"No, he didn't," Prachi muttered, trying
to brush it off.
"Then what's wrong? You look exhausted," Shravni probed.
Prachi sighed, giving in to the truth. "It's my daughter. She's at home, and I promised her we'd go out today."
Shravni froze, staring at her in shock. Prachi didn't look a day over twenty-five. "You have a child? Are you married?" her voice rose in surprise, causing Prachi to quickly hush her.
"I was, but he's gone now," Prachi lied. It was the only way to protect her daughter from the cruelty of society. She refused to let anyone label her child with a harsh word.
"I'm so sorry for your loss," Shravni whispered, quickly returning to her work as she noticed the CEO watching them from the upper balcony.
Anand had intentionally ordered the overtime just to keep his "sweet" within his sight. From the balcony, he watched her deliver the news and saw the brief, hushed exchange with her colleague, his brow furrowing slightly in curiosity.
"Sumit, get me everything on her. Every single detail," he ordered his assistant, who stood a few steps behind. "And have you found anything regarding the missing evidence?"
He wondered how she had managed to erase the CCTV footage from the VIP lounge all those years ago. A slight smirk touched his lips. He was eager to see what other tricks she had up her sleeve once she was finally in his grasp.
By nine o'clock, the office was finally thinning out. Prachi had already called to apologize to Anchija, who had huffed in disappointment. Her best friend, Saraswati, had agreed to look after the little girl for the evening.
One by one, the staff departed until only Prachi, the MD, and the CEO remained. Prachi finished her final file and let out a sigh of relief, ready to head home. But as she stood up, the MD walked down the stairs toward her.
"Miss Prachi, have you finished your work?" he asked.
"Yes, sir," she replied with a polite, tired smile.
"Good. Mr. Singhaniya wants to see you regarding today's records. Since he hasn't been at this branch long, make sure you brief him on everything he needs to know."
The words hit her like a heavy stone. With a racing heart, she walked toward the executive office like a prey wandering into a predator's den.
"Come in," a deep voice rang out before she could even knock. It was as if he had been counting her footsteps.
The click of her boots on the floor echoed in the quiet room. Anand turned to look at her, his eyes roaming over her beauty. Her kurta hugged her figure perfectly, paired with modest flared pants, and her hair was pulled back into a neat, elegant bun.

"Miss RAJVAL."
Prachi's heart stopped. She had spent years making sure no one knew that name or her connection to it. How could he possibly know?
She summoned her courage and looked at him, feigning confusion. "Mr. Singhaniya, I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean."
Her thin hope shattered when he tossed a file onto the desk in front of her.
"Trying to play me? Running away after sleeping with me... that's quite ungrateful, Prachi."
A cold shiver ran down her spine. Her pulse thudded in her ears as she opened the file. It was all there—every single detail of her life. He was standing right behind her now, so close she could feel the heat radiating from him.
"Prachi Rajval, the adopted daughter of Mukesh Rajval. We got that right, didn't we? You ran away five years ago."
Prachi realized she had only one card left to play. She spun around to face him, forcing a look of bold confidence.
"Mr. Anand Singhaniya, you're a popular man. Another night shouldn't be a big deal to you. We are adults; there's no need to make this a thing."
Anand let out a dark, hearty laugh.
"Indeed, it wasn't anything new. But there is something in you that I haven't been able to find in anyone else."
He stepped toward her, forcing her to retreat until her back hit the desk. He leaned in, placing his hands on either side of her, caging her in. Prachi was speechless. She had heard the rumors of his endless flings—how could he possibly remember her?
"Marry me, Prachi. Be mine," he whispered, his voice dropping to a dangerous level. "You've turned me insane. I gave you the chance to leave twice before. Now, you can't run. Not anymore."
Marry him? Wouldn't that be like digging another pit for herself to fall into?
Men like him were never reliable; they were all leaves from the same poisoned branch. They never cared for anyone but themselves—selfish, cold, and cruel.
"No, I can't. I don't want to marry you," she snapped, her brows furrowed with a mixture of anger and deep frustration. "I told you, it was a fleeting moment and nothing more. I'm asking you to please stay out of my business."
Why couldn't this all just stop? Why wouldn't the world just let her live in peace?
Anand stepped forward again, closing the gap until the tension between them was thick enough to suffocate. He reached out, his hand hovering near her face without actually making contact, his fingers merely following the stray lock of hair that rested against her forehead.
"You can call it a fleeting moment and deny it all you want, but you're mine," he murmured, his voice dropping to a dark, possessive crawl. "The way you screamed my name... it can only be me, sweet."
She stared at him, breathless, while he looked back into her eyes with a shameless intensity, as if he already owned her. She didn't know what to think or how to react to a man who looked at her with such terrifying certainty.
Finally, he stepped back, granting her the space she needed to breathe. Realizing she was being dismissed, Prachi didn't waste a second; she turned and fled. He watched her retreating figure, his gaze fixed on her until she blurred into the distance and vanished from sight.
"You'd run away the first chance you got, wouldn't you?" he whispered to the empty doorway, a predatory shadow crossing his face.
"Looks like the bunny will have to be locked up soon."